Does lifting weights make you bulky? This used to be a massive thing, and I believed it (but in my defence the women were massive like men back then!). Nowadays, with women flocking to pilates to avoid getting ‘bulky’, I realised this belief is back. But, it’s untrue.

Any woman who lifts weights and is ‘manly’ is taking steroids, or performance enhancing drugs. And, they’re taking a lot of them.

It’s really hard for women to gain muscle in general, let alone to the point where it is noticeable or excessive.

Another thing to consider when worrying about this, is the kind of sport they’re participating in. If they’re professional cross-fitters, powerlifters, or bodybuilders competing in ‘untested’ federations (WBFF, FMG, IFBB), then it’s also likely they are taking steroids. Additionally, they’re what we call ‘outliers’ – the genetic elite who gain muscle much more effectively than the average woman.

If heavy lifting is involved and their upper bodies are massive, this is a requirement of their sport! And not at all what will happen to you.

Here is a team of women I trained, each who trained to gain as much muscle as possible;

The best thing about training as a female is we can focus on building areas which accentuate the female form – shoulders, back, glutes, legs – and this makes our waists look smaller, so we are more curvy. This is the appeal of weight training, and the more muscle you build in these areas, the more feminine you will look.

So unless you train badly, with poor form, take steroids, or are an outlier, there is no way you will look manly by lifting weights!

So don’t stress! Get strong, and enjoy the many benefits that weight training has to offer.

STRENGTH TRAINING FOR WOMEN

If you’re lost in the weights room, my Female Training Blueprint will support you in finding your way!

Got questions? Feel free to leave them in the comments.

Jen X